Central High School

Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas, was the scene of important events during the civil rights struggle. In 1957, nine African-American students, known as the "Little Rock Nine" were denied entrance to the school in defiance of the 1954 Brown v. Board of Education U.S. Supreme Court decison which had ordered integration of public schools. This led to a confrontation between Arkansas Governor Orval Faubus and President Dwight D. Eisenhower.

On 23rd September 1957, the nine African-American students faced an angry mob of 1,000 whites protesting against integration in front of the school. After an outbreak of violence, the students were removed from the school. The following day, President Dwight D. Eisenhower ordered 1,200 troops of the 101st Airborne Division to escorts the students into the school.

In memory of these events, Central High School was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1977, and was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1982. Congress established the Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site in 1998.

Today, the site is still used as a school, and the National Historic Site is administered in partnership with the National Park Service.

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